After retiring from rewarding careers as teachers, my wife Jane and I began to travel, and also completed a frame-off restoration of a 1956 Thunderbird.

That was so much fun we began looking for another project car. We belonged to the Bakersfield Classic Thunderbird club and went on a joint Christmas light tour with the Bakersfield Model A club. The model A group looked like they were having a great time with their old cars. People came out of their homes to clap for the decorated cars.

We decided then to get a project model A. We went to the Pomona swap meet in early January and found a completely restored roadster, but nothing we wanted to restore. The end of January, we went to the Turlock swap meet where we found just the right car, a 29 roadster that was in pieces. After two years of work we located all of the parts we needed and put the car together with the help of Rick Davis of the Bakersfield club. June of 2005 we drove her to the top of Pike's Peak with 300 other Model A's at the Regional meet.

Jane and I live in a mountain community by Lake Isabella in the lower end of the Sierra's. Every year we have a local parade and western activities called "Whiskey Flat Days" in the small town of Kernville in which the Bakersfield Model A's participate. After the parade we have been inviting the club to our home for a bar-be-que. We met Phil and Phyllis Allin and discovered that they lived about ¼ mile from our house. Phil had been driving his 1930 Cabriolet. In the course of conversation, he mentioned that he had a 1931 A-400. Up to this point, I had only seen an A-400 in the National Automobile museum in Reno, NV. Several of us piled into our cars and went to see his car. I fell in love with the car the moment I saw it.

Phil told us how he bought the A-400 for $100 in 1964. I also discovered that he had been the editor of the Restorer Magazine for about 17 years.Phil and Phyllis joined us a few times during the last year to share rides to meetings in Bakersfield. I told them how much I liked the A-400 and to keep me in mind if they ever decided to sell it. Phyllis was recovering from esophageal cancer. They were beginning to get back to the things they enjoyed, like building homes in Central America for Habitat for Humanity, kayaking, skiing, and hiking the Sierras and British Columbia.

Then I received a call from Phil. Phyllis had a relapse and was in a facility in Porterville, CA on a respirator. They had decided that they would like to pass on the A-400 to someone that would appreciate it. Since I had shown such a strong interest I would have first choice. Jane and I didn't hesitate for a moment.

I am sorry that Phil and Phyllis are giving up a loved possession. I know that they had many wonderful times in that car. But I feel we are the temporary custodians of these cars for future generations. We will give her an overhaul and new paint. I hope Jane and I will get to have half as much enjoyment as Phil and Phyllis did. I doubt that we will have her for the 42 years that he did as I would be well over 100 by then. But I hope that I can pass her on to another generation that will appreciate the joy these cars brought to their past owners.

If you would like to see the full story of the A-400 Restoration Log by Phil Allin, read the Mar/Apr 1966 Restorer.